diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/security/roles.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/security/roles.ts
index 76c4f08fbea..b7060ebdd7a 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/security/roles.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/security/roles.ts
@@ -237,7 +237,10 @@ export function validInherits(
 export function builtinRoleToNumber(id: string) {
   const builtins = getBuiltinRoles()
   const MAX = Object.values(builtins).length + 1
-  if (id === BUILTIN_IDS.ADMIN || id === BUILTIN_IDS.BUILDER) {
+  if (
+    compareRoleIds(id, BUILTIN_IDS.ADMIN) ||
+    compareRoleIds(id, BUILTIN_IDS.BUILDER)
+  ) {
     return MAX
   }
   let role = builtins[id],
@@ -274,7 +277,9 @@ export async function roleToNumber(id: string) {
       // find the built-in roles, get their number, sort it, then get the last one
       const highestBuiltin: number | undefined = role.inherits
         .map(roleId => {
-          const foundRole = hierarchy.find(role => role._id === roleId)
+          const foundRole = hierarchy.find(role =>
+            compareRoleIds(role._id!, roleId)
+          )
           if (foundRole) {
             return findNumber(foundRole) + 1
           }
@@ -398,7 +403,7 @@ async function getAllUserRoles(
 ): Promise<RoleDoc[]> {
   const allRoles = await getAllRoles()
   // admins have access to all roles
-  if (userRoleId === BUILTIN_IDS.ADMIN) {
+  if (compareRoleIds(userRoleId, BUILTIN_IDS.ADMIN)) {
     return allRoles
   }
 
@@ -509,17 +514,21 @@ export async function getAllRoles(appId?: string): Promise<RoleDoc[]> {
     // need to combine builtin with any DB record of them (for sake of permissions)
     for (let builtinRoleId of externalBuiltinRoles) {
       const builtinRole = builtinRoles[builtinRoleId]
-      const dbBuiltin = roles.filter(
-        dbRole =>
-          getExternalRoleID(dbRole._id!, dbRole.version) === builtinRoleId
+      const dbBuiltin = roles.filter(dbRole =>
+        compareRoleIds(dbRole._id!, builtinRoleId)
       )[0]
       if (dbBuiltin == null) {
         roles.push(builtinRole || builtinRoles.BASIC)
       } else {
         // remove role and all back after combining with the builtin
         roles = roles.filter(role => role._id !== dbBuiltin._id)
-        dbBuiltin._id = getExternalRoleID(dbBuiltin._id!, dbBuiltin.version)
-        roles.push(Object.assign(builtinRole, dbBuiltin))
+        dbBuiltin._id = getExternalRoleID(builtinRole._id!, dbBuiltin.version)
+        roles.push({
+          ...builtinRole,
+          ...dbBuiltin,
+          name: builtinRole.name,
+          _id: getExternalRoleID(builtinRole._id!, builtinRole.version),
+        })
       }
     }
     // check permissions
@@ -565,9 +574,9 @@ export class AccessController {
     if (
       tryingRoleId == null ||
       tryingRoleId === "" ||
-      tryingRoleId === userRoleId ||
-      tryingRoleId === BUILTIN_IDS.BUILDER ||
-      userRoleId === BUILTIN_IDS.BUILDER
+      compareRoleIds(tryingRoleId, BUILTIN_IDS.BUILDER) ||
+      compareRoleIds(userRoleId!, tryingRoleId) ||
+      compareRoleIds(userRoleId!, BUILTIN_IDS.BUILDER)
     ) {
       return true
     }
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/row.spec.ts b/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/row.spec.ts
index 2980803fbc0..526e4b7a79b 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/row.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/row.spec.ts
@@ -763,12 +763,25 @@ describe.each([
           expect(row.food).toEqual(["apple", "orange"])
         })
 
+        it("creates a new row with a default value when given an empty list", async () => {
+          const row = await config.api.row.save(table._id!, { food: [] })
+          expect(row.food).toEqual(["apple", "orange"])
+        })
+
         it("does not use default value if value specified", async () => {
           const row = await config.api.row.save(table._id!, {
             food: ["orange"],
           })
           expect(row.food).toEqual(["orange"])
         })
+
+        it("resets back to its default value when empty", async () => {
+          let row = await config.api.row.save(table._id!, {
+            food: ["orange"],
+          })
+          row = await config.api.row.save(table._id!, { ...row, food: [] })
+          expect(row.food).toEqual(["apple", "orange"])
+        })
       })
 
       describe("user column", () => {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/index.ts b/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/index.ts
index 0ffa7600aad..ed74394a85a 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/index.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/index.ts
@@ -134,7 +134,12 @@ async function processDefaultValues(table: Table, row: Row) {
   }
 
   for (const [key, schema] of Object.entries(table.schema)) {
-    if ("default" in schema && schema.default != null && row[key] == null) {
+    const isEmpty =
+      row[key] == null ||
+      row[key] === "" ||
+      (Array.isArray(row[key]) && row[key].length === 0)
+
+    if ("default" in schema && schema.default != null && isEmpty) {
       let processed: string | string[]
       if (Array.isArray(schema.default)) {
         processed = schema.default.map(val => processStringSync(val, ctx))